Dulces Latin Bistro

Two words: Paella Valenciana. No better example to capture chef Julie's cooking than this gem!

Romantic, modest--as in not trendy, low key in the Madrona neighborhood, and such good cooking. I love the combination French, Italian, Spanish and Mexican dishes that find their way to the table. Carlos knows his wines, and Julie is just completely focused on turning out good food.

Leave the kids at home, bring your date or double date, and give yourself a sec to park on the street.

Posted 01/23/08

I thought the decor was perfect, I thought my dinner and dessert were absolutely delicious....the live music just lovely (even dreamy).....the service was just wonderful as well. It's a very warm environment, where they treat each customer, each guest so well. I highly recommend this delicious place.

Posted 01/17/08

This is the first time I'm reviewing a restaurant. Dulces was so fabulous I had to write about it. The ambience was perfect for our anniversary. The food was perfectly seasoned and very fresh. We had prawns as an appetizer. The special was pan seared halibut cheeks with a fabulous sauce. High marks also for the presentation. Even the dipping oil for the bread was fantastic. To finish the evening we had cranberry ice cream, which was surprisingly delicate and flavorful. The champagne was perfectly matched and the wait staff was very friendly. It's always nice to see the chef come out to greet guests and make them feel at home. I will definitely be going back!

Pros: Ambience, wine, food, service

Cons: Parking

Posted 01/11/07

Maybe the kitchen was just having an off night, but my wife and I didn't experience the restaurant described in the glowing reviews.

Our starters (beet & arugula salad, and tomato basil soup) were competent, but far from exceptional. The sides that came with the entrees--rice and steamed vegetables--were completely flavorless. The entrees themselves--we both had the Dungeness-stuffed poblanos--were alright, but nothing to write home about. They would have been vastly improved if, for example, the peppers had some seasoning.

The desserts (chocolate-banana cake and vanilla gelato) were good, but definitely insufficient to make up for the rest of the meal.

On the whole, an adequate dinner, but definitely below average for the price category.

Pros: Wine list

Cons: Poor value

Posted 04/15/06

Wine, food, service, low-key atmosphere... did I mention wine? I've been a few times and it has always been consistently good-great food, excellent wine recommendations (or wine-pairings for tasting menus), great service. Used to be a stand-by for when I couldn't get into another nice place, but now is top few of my list.

Pros: wine, never crowded, eclectic menu

Cons: limited parking

Posted 12/12/05

I recently dined at Dulces Latin Bistro with friends. We were so excited to try this restaurant that had such lovely reviews and delicious sounding menu. Our meal, which reatured many items that had been reviewed, left us extremely disappointed. We collectively decided the food was pedestrian at best and at times not edible. What was all the hype about? With all the truly wonderful restaurants in the Seattle area we came away from our dining experience feeling this was a waste of time and money. Don't bother.

Pros: wine

Cons: food, too much cologne on w

Posted 07/07/05

We live in the neighborhood so we get a chance to sample Dulces regularly. Each trip the food, atmosphere, and service have been excellent. Julie has the wonderful (and very un-Seattle-like) ability to not mix her culinary metaphors. French dishes are decididly French, Spanish is unmistakably Spanish, and so on. The sopa verde from the summer menu was crisp yet subtle - more daring than a bouilliabase but having similar meshing of flavor. The pork and duck cassoulet is brilliantly smooth and complex. Even if you're a 4th degree black belt in wine I advise throwing yourself on Carlos' mercy. He has an unerring ability to choose a wine for your dinner that brilliantly compliments everyone's entrees, does little damage to your wallet, and is off-beat enough that you would never have thought it up on your own.

Posted 09/28/04

We had dinner at Dulces for a friend's birthday, and we had an incredible evening. The wine list was very impressive, though marked up a little too high. For apps, we had incredible prawns, a super cheese plate, and calamari (not as large and tender as I would have liked). Everyone seemed to love their entrees, though my copper river salmon was a little overdone. The desserts and dessert wines were very good, and we finished the night with some port and cigars in the smoking room. But the best part of the whole evening was the phenominal service!

Pros: service, food, cigars

Posted 05/29/04

Dulces went out of their way to make our Valentines Day a truly special occasion. The staff always treats us like family. The food was not only delicious but very imaginative. The wine that was recommended to us was smooth as silk.

Weve never had less that a wonderful dinner at Dulces and is always our first choice for a celebration. Where else in Seattle will you find the head chef asking its guests how they enjoyed the dinner?

Pros: Romantic, Service, Wonderful food

Posted 02/15/03

This place is great. Julie's food is good, the wine list is extensive (I think Carlos's on-site selection is worth more than my car) and after dinner a retreat to the cigar room for a single malt is a perfect finish. Yes, I know the owners' names and yes I am willing to put my own name on the review. (Reviewing w/out your name is lame and should invalidate your credibility with readers). As for the service, Dulces has an excellent, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I work at a restaurant and truly believe that the custoemrs who complain about the service effectively drive good service away with their own misery and negativety. Carlos & Julie, keep up the good work because Zagat doesn't rate all of us, only the good ones.

Pros: Excellent ambiance, Great service, Friendly owners

Posted 06/12/02